Anomaloglossus stepheni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anomaloglossus stepheni |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Aromobatidae |
| Genus: | Anomaloglossus |
| Species: |
A. stepheni
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| Binomial name | |
| Anomaloglossus stepheni (Martins, 1990)
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| Synonyms | |
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Colostethus stepheni Martins, 1990 |
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Anomaloglossus stepheni, also known as Stephen's rocket frog, is a small type of frog. It belongs to the Aromobatidae family. You can find these frogs in French Guiana, nearby Suriname, and parts of Brazil.
What It Looks Like
Stephen's rocket frog is quite small. Male frogs are usually about 14 to 17 millimeters long. Female frogs are a little bigger, measuring about 16 to 18 millimeters. (To give you an idea, 10 millimeters is 1 centimeter, so these frogs are less than 2 centimeters long!)
These frogs are usually brown. They have a dark stripe that runs along each side of their body. You might also see bluish-white spots on their sides and on their toes. Male frogs have a white or gray throat sac, which they use to make calls. Female frogs have a pale throat.
Where It Lives
Stephen's rocket frog lives in French Guiana and the areas next to it in Suriname. It also lives in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. In Brazil, it is common in a place called the Adolfo Ducke Forest Reserve. This reserve is near where the Rio Negro and Solimões River meet.
How It Lives
Stephen's rocket frog is active during the day. It lives on the ground in the forest, often among fallen leaves. It looks for food like termites, beetles, and flies.
These frogs breed during the rainy season. The male frog finds a good spot and calls to attract a female. Their nest is usually a curled-up fallen leaf that looks like a small boat. Another leaf might sit on top like a roof.
The female frog lays about three to six eggs inside this leaf nest. The eggs are covered in a jelly-like substance. She stays at the nest for about an hour. After she leaves, the male frog comes back and guards the eggs. He protects his territory and chases away other male frogs. He usually stays very close to the nest, even as the tadpoles grow inside the eggs.
Sometimes, other female frogs might lay their eggs in the same nest. This means a single nest can have several groups of eggs at different stages of development. Unlike some other frogs, the tadpoles of Stephen's rocket frog do not get moved to water. They complete their entire development on land. After about 31 days, they change into tiny juvenile frogs.
Its Status
The Anomaloglossus stepheni frog is listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means that scientists believe it has a large population and a wide range where it lives. Its numbers seem to be stable, so it is not currently considered to be in danger.
